Healthy shoulders let you reach, lift, throw, and sleep without thinking about it. When pain shows up — a pinch overhead, night pain that wakes you, a shoulder that slips — it affects work, sport, and daily life. Dr. Tracye Lawyer is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic sports medicine surgeon in Boise. Her practice includes arthroscopic and open surgery of the shoulder, plus non-surgical care when that is the smarter path. She also holds a PhD focused on cartilage regeneration, which shapes her careful, evidence-based approach to joint preservation.
What Dr. Lawyer treats most often
Rotator cuff problems. These involve one or more of the four shoulder tendons (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, teres minor). Patients often describe night pain, weakness with lifting, or pain when reaching overhead. Small tears and inflammation may improve with therapy and activity changes. Larger tears, traction injuries, or those that fail conservative care may do best with surgical repair.
Labral injuries and instability. The labrum is the cartilage rim around the socket. Tears can follow a dislocation or repetitive overhead sport. Symptoms include catching, deep pain, or a sense the shoulder might “slip.” Stabilization procedures (Bankart repair, remplissage when appropriate) are tailored to laxity, bone loss, and sport demands.
Impingement and bursitis. Often shows up as a painful arc with overhead movement. Care starts with targeted therapy, load management, and sometimes injections.
Arthritis and cartilage wear. For advanced wear, shoulder replacement (anatomic or reverse) can restore function. Reverse shoulder arthroplasty is especially helpful when the rotator cuff is irreparable.
Clavicle, AC joint, and fractures. From falls or contact sports. Treatment depends on displacement, stability, and patient goals.
If you are unsure what you have, a simple rule of thumb helps: if pain, weakness, or instability lasts more than a week or interferes with sleep or daily tasks, it is time to get checked.
How diagnosis works
You can expect a careful history, focused exam, and imaging if needed. X-rays look at alignment and arthritis. Ultrasound or MRI helps define tendon and labral injuries. The goal is to name the problem clearly, explain it in plain language, and map a plan that fits your life.
Non-surgical care first, when it makes sense
Most shoulder problems start with a structured rehab plan. Good physical therapy improves scapular mechanics, rotator-cuff strength, and posture. Activity tweaks reduce painful load while you rebuild capacity. Anti-inflammatories or guided injections can calm symptoms as you progress. Many patients improve without an operation; when recovery plateaus or anatomy clearly needs repair, surgery becomes the practical next step. Recent overviews support a pragmatic pathway like this for rotator-cuff disease: start with quality rehab, then operate when function and pain fail to improve or the tear pattern warrants repair.
When surgery helps — and what recovery looks like
Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Small portals, tendon repair back to bone, and a staged rehab. Sling time is typically several weeks. Strength work builds gradually after healing begins. Many patients see strong improvements in pain and function over 6–12 months, depending on tear size and tendon quality.
Labral repair and stabilization. Reattaches torn labrum and tightens lax tissue where needed. Return to contact or overhead sport depends on healing and sport demands; plan on several months with milestones set early.
Biceps procedures (tenodesis/tenotomy). For biceps-related pain or SLAP variants in the right setting.
Shoulder replacement (anatomic or reverse). For advanced arthritis or irreparable cuff tears. Choice depends on bone, tendon status, and goals. Reverse designs shift mechanics to the deltoid when cuff tendons cannot do the job.
Timelines you can plan around (typical ranges, not promises):
- Rotator cuff repair: usually 6–12 months to full function, longer for massive tears.
- Labral repair: often 4–6 months to non-contact sport, longer for collision/overhead.
- Reverse or anatomic replacement: early pain relief is common; strength and motion improve over months with therapy.
Rehabilitation is the engine of recovery. A steady, thoughtful plan beats rushing every time.
Why choose Dr. Tracye Lawyer for your shoulder
- Specialist training + volume. Fellowship-trained in orthopaedic sports medicine with a shoulder, elbow, and knee focus. That means up-to-date technique and pattern recognition that comes from doing this work every week.
- Cartilage science background. Her PhD in cartilage regeneration informs decisions about joint preservation, biologics, and when to operate.
- Athlete’s perspective. As a decorated Stanford heptathlete, she understands competitive timelines and the fear of losing a season. That empathy helps set realistic goals without losing sight of performance.
- Team-based care at Catalyst. Imaging, procedures, and rehab are coordinated so you are not guessing the next step. You get local access in Boise with a full sports-medicine team behind you.
A quick story from clinic
A recreational tennis player in his fifties felt a sharp pain during an overhead serve. He had night pain and weakness lifting a pan from the oven. Exam and MRI showed a medium-sized supraspinatus tear with some biceps irritation. We started with therapy and load management. Six weeks later, he felt stronger but could not raise his arm without pain. After discussing options, we chose arthroscopic cuff repair and biceps tenodesis. He knew the milestones before day one: sling time, safe hand and elbow motion, then guided strengthening. At four months he was chipping and putting; at eight months he returned to casual doubles with a reliable overhead.
What about “stem cells” for shoulder pain?
You may hear promises about stem cells or “cures” for rotator-cuff disease. The evidence is mixed. Some lab and early clinical data are interesting, but translation to consistent, durable outcomes is still evolving. High-quality reviews call for better trials and careful patient selection before broad adoption. Dr. Lawyer discusses these trade-offs openly and prioritizes treatments with the strongest evidence for safety and benefit.
Prevention that actually helps
- Warm up before overhead work or sport.
- Mix training loads across the week; avoid sudden spikes.
- Keep the rotator cuff and scapular muscles strong with simple, regular work.
- Fix the small things early: posture, workstation setup, and shoulder-blade control.
Ready to get answers?
If your shoulder pain is cutting into sleep, sport, or work — and it has not settled after a week of easy activity and simple care — it is time to be seen. Dr. Lawyer will give you a clear diagnosis, a plan that starts simple, and a path back to the activities you enjoy.
Learn more with our partner: Catalyst Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine (Boise).
References
- Cederqvist S. et al. Non-surgical and surgical treatments for rotator cuff disease (overview of pragmatic care pathways). PubMed Central
- Wang Z. et al. Stem cell-based strategies for rotator cuff tendinopathy (review of translational issues and evidence gaps). PubMed Central
- Catalyst Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine — partner site with integrated sports-medicine care in Boise. catalystorthoidaho.com
- Stanford bio highlighting Dr. Lawyer’s athletic background and perspective. Stanford Cardinal Athletics
